Rain was forecast & sure enough on the journey north to Taupo it came. We made the trip in one go. The motel let us check in early which allowed us to get rid of the bags & explore.
First we grabbed some lunch at a cafe overlooking the lake, before heading off the the ariatiatia rapids. These rapids are man made, as the dam unleashes water at set times of the day. It is quite the spectacle as a small stream suddenly became a surging river. This powers one of the many hydro electric plants in the area.
The rain had held off whilst we took in the rapids, so we chanced a advertised thermal walk. This walk allowed us to see & feel the geothermal activity in the area. In a grievous error I had left my camera in the car. The sights we took in we're quite impressive. From mud pools, geysers, & a hot bubbling stream.
Just after our walk the rain came down in force so we headed to the volcanic centre to learn more about the region. At the centre we gained detailed insight to the Taupo area, & the Christchurch quakes.
Once the rain had stopped we went to the Huka Falls. These natural rapids were tremendously fast flowing & very impressive.
I headed off to a local gym, then we made use of the motels facilities. On site we had a heated outdoor pool, a mineral pool & a sauna.
With the rain lashing down again we headed over the road to the beach brassier for a tremendous meal. They did get our drinks order wrong twice but the food & the atmosphere balanced it out.
The night finished with a beer in front of the fire.